OAKLAND -- Michael Brantley flexed his arms in frustration, let out a quick shout and then tossed his bat away in disgust. The Indians left fielder has been one of the exceptions to Cleveland's offensive woes this season, but even Brantley is not immune from an occasional missed chance.

Brantley's boiling point came in the eighth inning of a 5-1 loss to the A's on Saturday, when he swung through a 92-mph fastball from Drew Pomeranz, striking out and stranding a pair of baserunners. It was one of only a handful of scoring chances on the night for a Cleveland club that has been coming up short in the batter's box too often.

Tribe falls to A's as bats can't break through

8/1/15: Lonnie Chisenhall drills a solo home run to right-center off Aaron Brooks to even the score at 1 for the Indians

By Jordan Bastian and Jane Lee
/
MLB.com |

OAKLAND -- Aaron Brooks dazzled in his A's debut, holding the Indians to one run across 7 1/3 innings to help his new club snap a three-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory at the Coliseum on Saturday night.

Lonnie Chisenhall hit Brooks' lone mistake for a solo home run in the fifth inning. The right-hander, acquired from Kansas City this week in the Ben Zobrist trade, allowed just four other hits, striking out five and walking none for his first career win.

Kipnis, dealing with sore shoulder, back at DH

Email

Print

Kipnis' RBI single 0:26

7/29/15: Jason Kipnis singles to left field to plate Michael Bourn and give the Indians a 4-0 lead in the 6th inning

By Jordan Bastian
/
MLB.com |

OAKLAND -- For the third time in the past five games, Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis was slotted into the lineup as the designated hitter in the Indians' 5-1 loss on Friday. Manager Terry Francona noted that Kipnis, who went 0-for-4, has recently dealt with soreness in his right shoulder.

Bauer looks to lock down series win vs. A's

7/28/15: Trevor Bauer scatters five hits and strikes out six while giving up two runs over nine innings in a tough-luck loss vs. the Royals

By Trevor Hass
/
MLB.com |

Last time he pitched, Sonny Gray shut out the Dodgers in a 2-0 A's win on Tuesday. His next start is Sunday, when the A's host the Indians in the final game of a four-game series.

Gray (11-4, 2.16) is 7-2 with a 1.79 ERA when pitching on four days' rest, which he'll do against Cleveland. He has a 5-1 record and 0.92 ERA in seven starts during the day. The right-hander tossed a two-hit shutout in his only start against Cleveland this season.

OAKLAND -- Even after learning he had been traded to the Padres on Friday afternoon, lefty Marc Rzepczynski stuck around for a bit with his now former Indians teammates. The pitcher said his farewells and made a point to chat briefly with Indians manager Terry Francona before leaving the Coliseum.

Shortly before the 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline, Cleveland shipped Rzepczynski to San Diego in exchange for Minor League outfielder Abraham Almonte. Francona said it was tough to see the reliever go, especially given the scene that unfolded in the visitors' clubhouse.

OAKLAND -- Danny Salazar wanted to pitch the ninth inning on Friday night. The Indians starter knew that if he fell even one inning shy of a complete game, he would hear it from his rotation-mates. After all, they had gone the distance in each of the previous three games for Cleveland.

'We're big fans of how he's acted,' Francona says

OAKLAND -- The Indians feel that it is time to reward Jerry Sands for being a good soldier. The journeyman has willingly accepted a role as an organizational depth player to this point this year, but Cleveland wanted to see if there is more potential in the right-handed corner outfielder.

With a vacancy on the active roster following the trade that sent lefty Marc Rzepczynski to the Padres on Friday, and an offense in need of help in the wake of the deals that shipped Brandon Moss and David Murphy out of town earlier this week, the Tribe recalled Sands from Triple-A Columbus before Friday's 2-1 win over the A's.

OAKLAND -- Indians manager Terry Francona heard that Carlos Carrasco's name was continuing to surface in trade rumors in the hours leading up to Friday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. Given that he had already assured the pitcher that he was not going anywhere, Francona found it all to be a bit amusing.

True to Francona's word, Carrasco, who pitched a complete-game gem on Thursday vs. the A's, was still with Cleveland when the 4 p.m. ET Deadline came and went.

OAKLAND -- Corey Kluber was not ready to concede this season for the Indians. Sitting at his locker inside the visitors' clubhouse at the Coliseum before Thursday's 3-1 win, the leader of Cleveland's rotation shrugged off the trades made by the team's front office over the past few days.

The way Kluber saw it, there was no correllation between the transactions and the way the team should approach the final two months of the current campaign.

With two regulars (Matt Adams and Jon Jay) already on the disabled list and a third (Matt Holliday) reinjuring his right quadriceps Wednesday night, the Cardinals decided to bolster their offense by acquiring Brandon Moss from the Indians on Thursday morning. But the price that St. Louis paid, lefty pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky, is a steep one for a club in its position.

The Cardinals have the best record in baseball, and they're almost certainly going to make the playoffs, even if Holliday is sidelined for a while. In the 31-year-old Moss, St. Louis is getting a one-tool player who can hit for power, but provides negative value in terms of on-base percentage and defensive ability as a first baseman and corner outfielder. Moss' 15 homers are more than anyone on the Cards' roster, but he's hit .217/.288/.407 in 94 games -- among the lowest numbers of his Major League career. Moss is not just a half-season rental, however, as he is eligible for arbitration one more time this offseason.

"He kind of took the sting out," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Carrasco. "I'm thrilled the way he pitched. I know he's mentioned being a little tougher, trying to dig deeper. I thought tonight he did everything you're supposed to do. Now, you've just got to follow it up again. That was a really good outing."

OAKLAND -- Brandon Moss stood in front of his locker at Progressive Field earlier this week, sounding lost while discussing the Indians' offensive struggles this season. The outfielder was brought to Cleveland to provide power in the heart of the lineup, but inconsistency has plagued his bat.

If Moss is going to find what has been missing over the season's final two months, he will do so wearing a Cardinals uniform. With an eye clearly on the future, the Indians traded Moss to St. Louis on Thursday morning in exchange for highly regarded left-handed pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky.

Indians righty pitches rotation's 3rd straight complete game

OAKLAND -- It looked to Indians manager Terry Francona as though recent trade rumors were beginning to trouble starter Carlos Carrasco. Worried that it could become a distraction, Francona had a brief chat with the pitcher about the reports claiming that teams were calling Cleveland about the big right-hander.

Chisenhall set for utility role in return to Indians

OAKLAND -- Given the emergence of rookie Giovanny Urshela, Lonnie Chisenhall's days as the Indians' starting third baseman appear to be behind him. Chisenhall has taken the developments of the past few months in stride, and is now trying to show Cleveland that he can be counted on as a versatile utility man.

OAKLAND -- Indians outfield prospect Tyler Naquin crashed into a wall during Triple-A Columbus' game against Indianapolis on Wednesday, creating enough concern to warrant a trip to the Minor League disabled list one day later due to consussion-like symptoms.

CLEVELAND -- Michael Brantley took a moment to admire his shot. The Indians left fielder held his bat firmly in his right hand, watched the baseball disappear into the right-field stands and slowly walked out of the batter's box. This blast served as a bit of payback.

Cleveland had already been punched in the gut plenty over the past several days. In Wednesday's 12-1 win over the Royals, the Tribe's hitters were also hit in the back a few times by Kansas City starter Jeremy Guthrie. Indians manager Terry Francona responded with an on-field argument that led to an ejection. The lineup answered with a season-high four homers in a much-needed skid-stopping victory.

Kluber, 12-run outburst help Tribe beat Royals

7/29/15: Corey Kluber tosses a complete game against the Royals, striking out six and surrendering just four hits and one walk

By Jeffrey Flanagan and August Fagerstrom
/
MLB.com |

CLEVELAND -- The Indians unleashed a week of pent-up offensive frustration upon the Kansas City Royals with a season-high 18 hits and four home runs in a 12-1 win on Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field.

The outburst could also be viewed as a release stemming from an inability to score with Corey Kluber on the mound this season. Kluber entered the contest receiving a Major League-low 2.41 runs per game. Wednesday was just the fourth time in 22 starts that Kluber received more than four runs of support. He more than did his part, too, holding the Royals to a ninth-inning run in his second complete game of the season and the fifth of his career. He struck out six and walked one, allowing just five hits.

Jeffrey Flanagan is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @FlannyMLB and listen to his podcast. August Fagerstrom is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Francona ejected after Brantley hit-by-pitch

7/29/15: Terry Francona is ejected after arguing a hit-by-pitch to Michael Brantley, making him the third batter to be hit by Jeremy Guthrie

By Jordan Bastian
/
MLB.com |

CLEVELAND -- After watching Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie hit his third batter of the afternoon on Wednesday, Indians manager Terry Francona had seen enough.

In the fifth inning of Cleveland's 12-1 win over Kansas City, Francona emerged from the home dugout and got into a heated exchange with home-plate umpire Tom Woodring, resulting in the manager's third ejection of the season. The argument came immediately after Indians outfielder Michael Brantley was hit by a pitch from Guthrie, who received a warning from Woodring earlier in the game.

Holt, who batted ninth and went 1-for-5 with a single and a run scored in his season debut, replaced David Murphy on the 25-man roster, after the veteran left fielder was traded to the Los Angeles Angels prior to Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Royals.

Bauer's curveball betrays him against Hosmer

7/28/15: Trevor Bauer scatters five hits and strikes out six while giving up two runs over nine innings in a tough-luck loss vs. the Royals

By August Fagerstrom
/
MLB.com |

CLEVELAND -- Three times.

Three times Trevor Bauer had gone to his curveball in a 3-2 count this season. The hook had been working for the righty in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Kansas City. He'd thrown it a season-high 28 times. It had gotten him five of his six strikeouts. It had only been put in play twice, both going for outs.

CLEVELAND -- Hugs in the dugout are usually a sign that a player is preparing to pack his bags. During the fourth inning of the Indians' game against the Royals on Tuesday night, veteran outfielder David Murphy received his farewell embraces before heading to the clubhouse.

With the Indians sitting in the American League Central cellar, the club had to approach Friday's non-waiver Trade Deadline with an eye both on this year and the future. With Murphy not a part of the long-term plans, the Tribe pulled its first deal of the trade season, sending the outfielder and cash considerations to the Angels in exchange for Minor League shortstop prospect Eric Stamets.

Tribe's bats waste Bauer's solid start against KC

7/28/15: Trevor Bauer scatters five hits and strikes out six while giving up two runs over nine innings in a tough-luck loss vs. the Royals

By Jeffrey Flanagan and August Fagerstrom
/
MLB.com |

CLEVELAND -- Eric Hosmer hit a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning off Indians starter Trevor Bauer as the Royals secured a 2-1 victory on Tuesday night at Progressive Field.

The homer spoiled an otherwise impressive night for Bauer (8-8, 4.13 ERA), who threw the first complete game of his career. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed two earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out six.

Jeffrey Flanagan is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @FlannyMLB. August Fagerstrom is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Hagadone returns to rehab after elbow surgery

CLEVELAND -- Nick Hagadone was in the Indians' clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon, his left arm in a cast, chatting with teammates and in good spirits under the circumstances. The left-handed reliever is done for the season following surgery on his throwing elbow, but he is back rehabbing in Cleveland.

Hagadone considers himself fortunate, because his recent injury did not result in a second career Tommy John surgery. Instead, the pitcher fractured the medial epicondyle bone in the joint and, following a stabilization procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews last Thursday, Hagadone is expected to miss six-to-nine-months.

The right-handed-hitting Aguilar was promoted from Columbus on July 24 with the Indians scheduled to face a series of left-handed White Sox pitchers in Jose Quintana, Chris Sale and Carlos Rodon. Aguilar started all three games and went 2-for-9 with five strikeouts.

August Fagestrom is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Share This

Email

Print

Bauer named Bob Feller Act of Valor Award nominee

Email

Print

The award honors the legacy of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, who fought for the U.S. military. (Getty)

By Andrew Simon
/
MLB.com |

The active Major League players and Hall of Famers nominated for the 2015 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award were revealed Tuesday.

The award, now in its third year, honors the legacy of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, who became the first professional athlete to enlist in the U.S. military after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. A current MLB player, a Hall of Famer and a U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer are recognized each Veterans Day in a ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Santana, Lindor homers aren't enough vs. KC

7/27/15: Francisco Lindor sends a three-run home run to right-center field in the 7th inning for his fourth homer of the year

By Jeffrey Flanagan and August Fagerstrom
/
MLB.com |

CLEVELAND -- The Royals started this three-game series with a bang, belting two homers, including a three-run shot by Eric Hosmer in the first inning as part of his four-RBI night, in a 9-4 victory over the Indians on Monday night at Progressive Field.

Indians rookie Cody Anderson struggled for a second consecutive outing, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings with two walks. The Royals were aggressive against the strike-throwing righty, with four of his eight hits allowed coming on the first pitch, including home runs by Hosmer and Omar Infante.

Jeffrey Flanagan is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @FlannyMLB. August Fagerstrom is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

After meeting, Tribe gets energy but not win

CLEVELAND -- One team meeting was not going to miraculously turn around the Indians' season, especially with two-plus months remaining on the schedule. For at least one game, Cleveland could at least claim that there was a renewed energy among the players in the home dugout.

Unfortunately for the Tribe, it was more of the same on the field on Monday night, where the Royals ambushed Cody Anderson early in the count and ran up the score early in handing the Indians a 9-4 loss in the series opener. It marked the fifth loss in a row for the reeling Tribe, which had a lengthy meeting on Sunday after a disheartening loss and four-game sweep at the hands of the White Sox.